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' (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. H. LEWIS.

POTATO BIGGER.

No. 403,848. Patented May 2l 1889.

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J. H. LEWIS.

POTATO BIGGER. No. 403,848. Patented May 21 1889.

Inven Zar UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JAMES H. LEWIS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES G.HAMPTON, OF SAME PLACE.

POTATO-DIGGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,848, dated May 21,1889. Application iled March 6, 1888. Serial No. 266,296. (No model.)

To all whom it guay concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES H. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato Diggers, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inpotato-diggers, and the invention is designed to forman improvement onthe patent granted to me March 2, 1886, and numbered 337,169.

The invention consists, first, in the improved construction of mechanismfor changing the pitch of the plow-beam; second, in the peculiarconstruction and operation of my elevator or carrier, by means of whichthe potatohills are delivered from the plow onto the shaking-grates;third, in the improved construction of the shaking mechanism, all asmore fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings which accompany this specification, Figure l is anelevation in diagram. Fig. 2 is a plan of my machine. Fig. 3 isY aVertical longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 4 is a plan view in diagram,showing the carrier in position and connected to the drive mechanism.Fig. 5 is a plan of the carrier detached. Fig. 6 is a detachedperspective view of the parts composing the frame of the carrier. Fig. 7is a detached perspective view of the plow. Fig. 8 is a plan of the plowdetached.

A is the axle, supported on lthe groundwheels B, both of which aredrive-wheels.

`(l is the draft-pole, centrally secured between the curved hounds D,which at their rear ends are secured to the axle, these parts togetherforming the plow-truck.

E is the plow-beam, the forward end of whichris adjustably secured tothe underside of the draft-pole by means of the bifurcated lever F,which is fulcrumed at a at the under side of the draft-pole andpivotally secured to the forward end of the plow-beam at Z). The rearend of this lever is clevised, and the eccentric-lever d is pivotallysecured at e in the fork c of the clevis by means of a series ofadjusting-holes, ff, in the eccentric part of the lever and in theclevis, respectively. The cam-lever d may be adjusted into differentpositions and held therein by a pin, g, which engages into one set ofadj usting-holes.

By means of the construction described the plow-beam is firmly butadjustably secured to the draft-pole, and by changing the position ofthe cam-lever (l the forward end of the plow-beam may be raised orlowered, as desired, for the proper adjustment of the plow. At the sametime the plow-beam is free to rise should the plow pass over stones orother obstructions.

To the plow-beam are rigidly secured or integrally formed therewith thecurved arms or standards H, which project sidewardly, rearwardly, anddownwardly, from the plow-beam, and have their lower ends connected by ahorizontal bearing plate or shoe, I, to which the plow is secured. Thisplow consists of the central shovel-plow, J, and the scraperplate K,which are secured to the shoe I, and of the side plows, L, which aresecured to the arms II by means of the standards L. The side plows areprovided with the landsides L, which extend rearwardly to connect withthe vertical guards L which are secured upon the shoe I near the outerends of the scraper-plates, and to 'these guards Ll are hinged at h therear extensions, L4, all so arranged that the parts L L Ll form parallelsides, or nearly so, between which the potatohills are passed over theplow.

M are two shaking-grates, the cross-heads N of which are pivotallysecured in the rear of the shoe I. Each of the shaking-grates is securedto that one of the hinged guards L4 which adjoins it, so that thevertical motion imparted to the guards L4, -in the manner hereinafterdescribed, agitates the grates M, for the purpose of separating theground from the potatoes, the latter being prevented from fallingthrough the interstices oi" the grates while the ground falls through.

The vertical motion or shaking of the grates M is produced in thefollowing manner: O are two shaker-arms, respectively hinged at one endto the rear extension of the hounds, and provided with the strikersP,which interfere, in the operation of the device, with the cocks orarms of the revolving wheels Q, which are IOO ,which the shaft R passes.

mountedupon the transverse shaft R, near the rear end of the plow-frame.The free end of each shaker-arm is secured to a connectingrod, S, thelower end of which is slotted and engages with said slot on a pin, i,which is secured to the guards L4, ,By this means the alternate raisingand dropping of the shakerarms agitates the grates.

U are plow-handles, pivotally secured at j to the rear end of theplow-beam, and resting with their rear ends upon the axle supporting theplow, by means of the connectingrods V, which are pivotally secured attheir lower ends to the arms or standards I-I of the plow-frame,respectively, and at their upper ends adj ustably secured at 7c to theplowhandles.

to digmore or less deep in the ground.

W is a transverse shaft journaled in suitable bearings on top of theframe, and provided with the hand-lever W and the cranks W2, to the endsof which are pivotally secured the connecting-rods W3, which extendvertically downwardk and are pivotally secured at Z to the plow, all soarranged that by the operation of the hand-lever W (which has a suitablelocking device) the plow may be raised out of the ground.

To prevent the potato-hills from choking the plow and by theaccumulation increase the draft, I provide a carrier device providedwith rakes or their equivalents, whereby the' material is carried fromthe plow onto the shaking-grates, and this carrier is constructed asfollows: y

The shaft R,l before described, is provided on its outer ends-with thesprocket-pinions m, which, by means of chains m', receive motion fromthe sprocket-wheels n, which are journaled upon the axle, and receivemotion from the ground-wheels by means of interveningclutches, as in theusual manner. Upon the shaft R is also secured the carrier-sprocketpinion o, which imparts motion to the carrierchains o', towhich thecross heads or rakes o2 are secured. The lower end of the carrier passesaround the sprocket-pinions o3, which are secured upon a shaft, R'. Thisshaft is journaled in bearings p, detachably secured in the aperturesp', formed in the lower ends of the side frames, q, the upper ends ofwhich are sleeved upon the shaft R.. The upper ends of these sideframes, q, are provided with the extension-plates q', adj ustablysecured'to the frame q and provided with the apertures q2, in which theboxes g3 are inserted, and through The frames q are provided withsuitable guide-ianges, (14, for the carrier-chains, and a plate, Q5, isdetachably secured by anyv suitable means to the lower end of each frameq. These plates g5 Vare apertured to receive the lower boxes, p,

of the carrier-shaft, and are alsoV provided with theoutwardly-projecting stops q, by

means of which the lower end of the carrier rests upon a stop, qs,secured to the landside Thus, by lengthening or shortening' theconnections V, the plow may be adj usted L2 of` theV side plows, butisfree to rise up from that position to ride on top of the materialwhich accumulates on top of the plow to agreater or less height. The-boxes 1o and qs are made tapering, as shown in Fig. 6, and the slidesin which they rest are correspondingly tapered to prevent the endwisedisplacement of the boxes and provide a greater facility to renew themwithout'disrnounting the whole carrier by loosening the set-screws whichhold the sprocket-pinions of the carrier in place. The shaft R is journaled in boxes o", which are securedV upon the extensionbrackets s,adjustablysecured to the rear ends of the hounds. `By this means thewhole carrier may be adjusted forward or backward, carrying with it atthe same time the shakerarms O, which are hinged to the brackets p5,secured to the rear end of the brackets s.

The extension-joint of -the side frames, q, j

permits adjustment of the carrier-chains, and a cross bar, Q7, securedbetween the side frames, secures such side bars firmly together and actsat the same time as a scraper to prevent the carrier rakes and chainsfrom carrying any material upwardly.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination, with a plow andsupporting-frame of a potatodigger, substantially as described, lof acarrier mounted on a frame pivotally secured at its rear end in bearingslongitudinally adjustably secured to the frame and free to rise and fallat its front end, and a stop on the side plow to support said front.end, substantially as described.

2. In a potato-digger, substantially as described, the combination ofthe supporting frame or hounds D, the transverse shaft R, the boxes r,in which said shaft is journaled, the supporting-brackets s,adjustably'secured to the hounds, the sprocket-wheels fm, secured uponsaid shaft and provided with drive-connection from the ground-wheel, theframe q of the carrier pivotally sleeved upon the shaft R, the shaft R',journaled in the lower ends of the frame q, and the carrier mounted uponthe shafts R R', substantially as described.

3. In a potato-digger, substantially as described, the combination ofthe supporting frame or hounds D, the transverse shaft R, the boxes fr,in which said shaft is j ournaled, the brackets s, supporting saidboxes, adjustably secured to the hounds, the sprocketwheels m, securedupon said shaft and provided with drive-connections from thegroundwheels, the carrier-frames q, sleeved upon the shaft R at theirrear ends and loosely journaled upon their front ends, theextensionjoints in said carrier -frames, the shaft R', journaled in thefront ends of the carrierframes, the sprocket-wheels mounted upon theshafts R R', and the carrier-chains o' and rakes o2, substantially asdescribed. 4. In a potato-digger, substantially as described, thecombination, with the shaking- IOO IIO

IIS

grates M, mounted in the rear of the plow, of

the vibrating shaker-arms O, mounted upon the rear end 0f the frametransversely there-v of and hinged to the rear extension of the hounds,the striker-arms P, transverse shaft R and its drive-connection with thegroundwheels, and the Wheels Q, mounted upon the shaft R and providedwith striker-arms or cocks, substantially as'described.

. 5. In a potato-digger, the combinatiomwith the supporting-framemounted upon the axle, of the plow-beam E, the lever F, pivotallysecured to the plow-beam and fulcrulned at its forward end to theplow-frame, .substantially as described, the clevised rear end, c, ofthe lever F, the eccentric cam-lever d, mounted r 5 therein, andadjusting-holes ff', the parts being arranged to operate substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses,this 26th day of 2o September, 1887.

JAMES H. LEWIS.

Vitnesses:

P. M. HULBERT, JOHN SCHUMAN.

